PHLOROGLUCINOL DERIVATIVES AND FLAVONES FROM HELICHRYSUM PARONYCHIOIDES

Investigation of Helichrysum paronychioides afforded a total of nine compounds: 4 phloroglucinol derivatives, 2 of which are novel natural products, and 5 flavone derivatives. Structures were established by various spectroscopic techniques (NMR, MS, UV, IR, CD) and by comparison with literature data for the known compounds. The four phloroglucinols, trans-(2R,3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-4-chromanone (1), 2-butanoyl-4-prenyl-1-methoxy phloroglucinol (2), 2-(2-methylpropanoyl)-4-prenylphloroglucinol (3) and 2-(2-methyl- butanoyl)-4-prenylphloroglucinol (4) were screened for antioxidant activity against Cu-induced LDL oxidation. Compound 4 was found to be the most active inhibiting LDL oxidation at all concentrations (0.5-10 μM) while the other three showed moderate to no activity. KEY WORDS: Helichrysum paronychioides, Asteraceae, Phloroglucinol derivatives, CD spectroscopy, Synthesis Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2006, 20(1), 61-68

Pressure-and temperature induced phase transitions, piezochromism, NLC behaviour and pressure controlled Jahn–Teller switching in a Cu-based framework

In situ single-crystal diffraction and spectroscopic techniques have been used to study a previously unreported Cu-framework bis[1-(4-pyridyl)butane-1,3-dione]copper(II) (CuPyr-I). CuPyr-I was found to exhibit high-pressure and low-temperature phase transitions, piezochromism, negative linear compressibility, and a pressure induced Jahn?Teller switch, where the switching pressure was hydrostatic media dependent.The support by the Spanish Ministerio de Econom´ıa, Industria y Competitividad (PGC2018-101464-B-I00), and INNVAL 18/28 is also acknowledged

ARTROPLASTIA ACETÁBULO-FEMORAL EM CÃES COM PERICÁRDIO BOVINO CONSERVADO

A articulação acetábulo-femoral é a mais acometida pela luxação traumática em cães e gatos, representando 50% de todas as luxações. Apesar da literatura médica veterinária descrever inúmeras técnicas para a redução da luxação, são freqüentes as recidivas pós-operatórias e as complicações como fibrose restritiva pós-ostectomia do colo femoral. Considerando-se o elevado número de cães com luxações acetábulo-femorais e as complicações pós-cirúrgicas em potencial, este experimento visa estabilizar a articulação acetábulo-femoral com a utilização de membrana biológica. Na primeira etapa do experimento, 10 cães sem raça definida, com peso médio de 10 kg foram submetidos à artrotomia e ressecção do ligamento redondo, iatrogenizando-se assim a luxação acetábulofemoral direita. Quinze dias após procedeu-se a artroplastia, reconstituindo-se o ligamento redondo com um segmento de pericárdio bovino conservado em glicerina 98%. Para estabilizar a articulação foram feitos dois orifícios, na posição de 10 e 1 horas, comunicando a epífise, colo e cabeça femorais ao acetábulo. Na seqüência dois segmentos de pericárdio medindo 10cm de comprimento por 1cm de largura foram inseridos nos trajetos, sendo que suas extremidades foram fixadas às fáscias musculares e periósteo através de suturas interrompidas simples com fio de polipropileno n º 2-0. No período pós-operatório além da administração de analgésicos, antibióticos e dos cuidados com a ferida cirúrgica, o membro pélvico direito foi imobilizado com bandagem de Ehmer durante 14 dias. Após a remoção da bandagem constatou-se atrofia por desuso temporária, pois o paciente deambulava normalmente após 2 semanas de fisioterapia. Nos exames radiográficos realizados nos 15º e 45º dias não observou-se luxação acetábulo-femoral, podendo-se concluir que a artroplastia com membrana biológica é uma técnica que pode ser indicada para reduzir luxação acetábulo-femoral, em cães. Coxofemoral arthroplasty in dogs with conserved bovine pericardium in glycerin 98% Abstract The coxofemoral is the more affected articulation by traumatic luxation in dogs and cats, representing about 50% of all the luxations cases in these species. In spite of de veterinary medical literature describe countless of techniques for the reduction of luxatio, are very frequent postoperative recurrence and complications as restrictive fibrosis after ostectomy of the femur head.Considering the high number of dogs with coxofemoral luxations and the potential post-surgical complications, this experiment aims to use a technique able to stabilize the coxofemural articulation with the use of biological membrane. In the first stage of the experiment, 10 dogs without defined race, with a medium weight of 10 kg were submitted to incision at the right joint followed by resection of the round ligament, promoting, this way, an acetabulo-femoral luxation. Fifteen days after, arthroplasty was performed by the reconstitution of the round ligament with a segment of bovine pericardium preserved in glycerin 98%. In order stabilize the articulation, two holes have been performed in the position of 10 and 1 hours, communicatiing the epiphysis, neck and head of the femur to the acetabulum. In the sequence, two pericardium segments, measuring 10 cm length by 1 cm width, were inserted in the stretch, and the extremities fastened to the muscuylar fascias and periosteum by means of simple interrupted sutures with n° 2 polypropilene thread. In the postoperative period, besides the administration of analgesic, antibiotics and the cares with the surgical wound, the right pelvic member was immobilized with Ehner´s bandage for 14 days. The occurrence of temporary unuse atrophies were observed after the removal of the bandage, the patient strolling back normally after 2 weeks of physiotherapy. Considering that no signal of residual luxation was observed in those patients at the radiographic control carried out at l5 and 45 days after the operation, it can be concluded that this technique can be indicated to reduce coxofemoral luxation in dogs

Prevalence of IgG antibodies against Malawi polyomavirus in patients with autoimmune diseases and lymphoproliferative disorders subjected to bone marrow transplantation

IntroductionHuman polyomaviruses (HPyVs) cause persistent/latent infections in a large fraction of the population. HPyV infections may cause severe diseases in immunocompromised patients. Malawi polyomavirus (MWPyV) is the 10th discovered human polyomavirus (HPyV 10). MWPyV was found in stool samples of healthy children. So far, the few investigations carried out on HPyV 10 did not find an association with human disease.MethodsIn this study, to verify the putative association between MWPyV and human diseases, MWPyV seroprevalence was investigated in patients affected by i) lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs) and ii) immune system disorders, i.e., autoimmune diseases (ADs), and in iii) healthy subjects. An indirect ELISA, employing virus-like particles (VLPs) to detect serum IgG antibodies against MWPyV/HPyV 10, was carried out. The study also revealed the prevalence of another polyomavirus, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV).ResultsSera from patients with distinct autoimmune diseases (n = 44; mean age 20 years) had a prevalence of MWPyV antibodies of 68%, while in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders (n = 15; mean age 14 years), subjected to bone marrow transplantation, the prevalence was 47%. In healthy subjects (n = 66; mean age 13 years), the prevalence of MWPyV antibodies was 67%. Our immunological investigation indicates that MWPyV/HPyV 10 seroconversion occurs early in life and MWPyV/HPyV 10 appears to be another polyomavirus ubiquitous in the human population. A significantly lower MWPyV antibody reactivity together with a lower immunological profile was detected in the sera of LPD patients compared with HS2 (*p < 0.05) (Fisher’s exact test). LPD and AD patients have a similar MCPyV seroprevalence compared with healthy subjects.DiscussionMWPyV seroprevalence indicates that this HPyV is not associated with lymphoproliferative and autoimmune diseases. However, the ability to produce high levels of antibodies against MWPyV appears to be impaired in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders. Immunological investigations indicate that MWPyV seroconversion occurs early in life. MCPyV appears to be a ubiquitous polyomavirus, like other HPyVs, in the human population

Zinc prevents vaginal candidiasis by inhibiting expression of an inflammatory fungal protein

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Association for the Advancement of Science via the DOI in this recordData and materials availability: All data associated with this study are present in the paper or the Supplementary Materials. Raw data from the figures are given in data file S1.Candida causes an estimated half-billion cases of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) every year. VVC is most commonly caused by Candida albicans, which, in this setting, triggers nonprotective neutrophil infiltration, aggressive local inflammation, and symptomatic disease. Despite its prevalence, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underpinning the immunopathology of this fungal infection. In this study, we describe the molecular determinant of VVC immunopathology and a potentially straightforward way to prevent disease. In response to zinc limitation, C. albicans releases a trace mineral binding molecule called Pra1 (pH-regulated antigen). Here, we show that the PRA1 gene is strongly up-regulated during vaginal infections and that its expression positively correlated with proinflammatory cytokine concentrations in women. Genetic deletion of PRA1 prevented vaginal inflammation in mice, and application of a zinc solution down-regulated expression of the gene and also blocked immunopathology. We also show that treatment of women suffering from recurrent VVC with a zinc gel prevented reinfections. We have therefore identified a key mediator of symptomatic VVC, giving us an opportunity to develop a range of preventative measures for combatting this disease.Wellcome TrustMedical Research Council (MRC)National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC

A Yersinia Effector with Enhanced Inhibitory Activity on the NF-κB Pathway Activates the NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 Inflammasome in Macrophages

A type III secretion system (T3SS) in pathogenic Yersinia species functions to translocate Yop effectors, which modulate cytokine production and regulate cell death in macrophages. Distinct pathways of T3SS-dependent cell death and caspase-1 activation occur in Yersinia-infected macrophages. One pathway of cell death and caspase-1 activation in macrophages requires the effector YopJ. YopJ is an acetyltransferase that inactivates MAPK kinases and IKKβ to cause TLR4-dependent apoptosis in naïve macrophages. A YopJ isoform in Y. pestis KIM (YopJKIM) has two amino acid substitutions, F177L and K206E, not present in YopJ proteins of Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis CO92. As compared to other YopJ isoforms, YopJKIM causes increased apoptosis, caspase-1 activation, and secretion of IL-1β in Yersinia-infected macrophages. The molecular basis for increased apoptosis and activation of caspase-1 by YopJKIM in Yersinia-infected macrophages was studied. Site directed mutagenesis showed that the F177L and K206E substitutions in YopJKIM were important for enhanced apoptosis, caspase-1 activation, and IL-1β secretion. As compared to YopJCO92, YopJKIM displayed an enhanced capacity to inhibit phosphorylation of IκB-α in macrophages and to bind IKKβ in vitro. YopJKIM also showed a moderately increased ability to inhibit phosphorylation of MAPKs. Increased caspase-1 cleavage and IL-1β secretion occurred in IKKβ-deficient macrophages infected with Y. pestis expressing YopJCO92, confirming that the NF-κB pathway can negatively regulate inflammasome activation. K+ efflux, NLRP3 and ASC were important for secretion of IL-1β in response to Y. pestis KIM infection as shown using macrophages lacking inflammasome components or by the addition of exogenous KCl. These data show that caspase-1 is activated in naïve macrophages in response to infection with a pathogen that inhibits IKKβ and MAPK kinases and induces TLR4-dependent apoptosis. This pro-inflammatory form of apoptosis may represent an early innate immune response to highly virulent pathogens such as Y. pestis KIM that have evolved an enhanced ability to inhibit host signaling pathways

Principal variable selection to explain grain yield variation in winter wheat from features extracted from UAV imagery

Background: Automated phenotyping technologies are continually advancing the breeding process. However, collecting various secondary traits throughout the growing season and processing massive amounts of data still take great efforts and time. Selecting a minimum number of secondary traits that have the maximum predictive power has the potential to reduce phenotyping efforts. The objective of this study was to select principal features extracted from UAV imagery and critical growth stages that contributed the most in explaining winter wheat grain yield. Five dates of multispectral images and seven dates of RGB images were collected by a UAV system during the spring growing season in 2018. Two classes of features (variables), totaling to 172 variables, were extracted for each plot from the vegetation index and plant height maps, including pixel statistics and dynamic growth rates. A parametric algorithm, LASSO regression (the least angle and shrinkage selection operator), and a non-parametric algorithm, random forest, were applied for variable selection. The regression coefficients estimated by LASSO and the permutation importance scores provided by random forest were used to determine the ten most important variables influencing grain yield from each algorithm. Results: Both selection algorithms assigned the highest importance score to the variables related with plant height around the grain filling stage. Some vegetation indices related variables were also selected by the algorithms mainly at earlier to mid growth stages and during the senescence. Compared with the yield prediction using all 172 variables derived from measured phenotypes, using the selected variables performed comparable or even better. We also noticed that the prediction accuracy on the adapted NE lines (r = 0.58–0.81) was higher than the other lines (r = 0.21–0.59) included in this study with different genetic backgrounds. Conclusions: With the ultra-high resolution plot imagery obtained by the UAS-based phenotyping we are now able to derive more features, such as the variation of plant height or vegetation indices within a plot other than just an averaged number, that are potentially very useful for the breeding purpose. However, too many features or variables can be derived in this way. The promising results from this study suggests that the selected set from those variables can have comparable prediction accuracies on the grain yield prediction than the full set of them but possibly resulting in a better allocation of efforts and resources on phenotypic data collection and processing